Conifers for Wet Areas

Hardy In USDA Zone 4

• The nootka falsecypress (Chamaecyparis nootkatensis) prefers moist, humid sites; you can even plant it near pond or stream edges. Native to coastal regions of Washington, Canada and Alaska, this conifer grows slowly to 75 feet tall and can live for about 50 years. It's hardy in USDA zones 4 to 8a and prefers acidic soil. Several members of the Thuja genus tolerate wet soil, including the Eastern arborvitae or white cedar (Thuja occidentalis). A North American native, this evergreen reaches heights of 40 feet. Tolerant of wet soil, flooding and drought, this tolerant tree's dense foliage makes it a good choice for privacy screening. Plant the Eastern arborvitae in USDA zones 2 to 7.

Hardy in USDA Zone 5

• One of the few pines that tolerates wet sites, the Austrian pine (Pinus nigra) has dense, dark needles and furrowed bark, making it an attractive specimen tree in the garden. This European native grows to 60 feet and is hardy in USDA zones 5 to 8a. Both the white spruce (Picea glauca) and black spruce (Picea marina) tolerate wet soil. The white spruce reaches heights of 60 feet and has fragrant, blue-green or silvery needles. It's hardy in USDA zones 2 to 6 and grows naturally on lake or stream banks. The black spruce, also known as the bog spruce, is hardy in USDA zones 3 to 6 and prefers moist to wet sites. This 65-foot-tall tree has blue-green foliage and can live more than 150 years.

Hardy in USDA Zone 6

• The European silver fir (Abis alba) tolerates wet feet. Hardy in USDA zones 4 to 7a, this fir has a pyramidal shape that lends itself well to use at Christmas. It reaches heights to 120 feet, but spreads to only 25 feet, making it a good choice for narrow spaces. Another wet-soil-tolerant tree, the dawn redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides), was thought to be extinct until it was discovered growing wild in Chinese forests. A deciduous conifer, the dawn redwood grows to up 90 feet tall, so make sure your planting space has enough room to accommodate its mature size. This tree is hardy in USDA zones 5 to 8.

Hardy in USDA Zone 7

• The Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica) tolerates wet soil. This columnar evergreen grows to 60 feet tall with a 20-foot spread and makes a good screening tree in the home landscape. It's hardy in USDA zones 6 to 8 and grows best in sunny sites with acidic soil. Hardy in USDA zones 6 to 8, the giant arborvitae (Thuja plicata) grows in wet, sunny or shady sites. Native to North America, this evergreen has aromatic foliage and grows up to 70 feet tall, though in its indigenous range, it can reach heights up to 200 feet. The bald cypress (Taxodium distichum) thrives in wet sites, even in periods of extended flooding. Hardy in USDA zones 5 to 10, this North American native grows quickly to 80 feet with a 35-foot spread and has deciduous, needlelike foliage that turns bronze-red in autumn.